Plant Family: Rhamnaceae

Common Names: Californian Buckthorn, Cascara sagrada, Chittem Bark, Sacred Bark

Origin: Cascara is a tree that is native to British Columbia, California and the Pacific Northwest regions of North America.

History: The North American native Indians named it Sacred Bark

Tradition:

• It will help you to win your court case if sprinkled around the home before going to court
• It is used in money spells
• It is used to repel evil and hexes

Plant Constituents

Contains:

• anthraquinones
• Emodin
• fat
• glucose
• malic acid
• starch
• tannic acid
• volatile odorous oil

Usage

Medicinal Parts Used: Bark (matured from 1-3 years)

Cascara is used for:

Blood Conditions

• hemorrhoids

Gastrointestinal Conditions

• acts principally on the large intestine
• digestive complaints
• dyspepsia
• stimulant to the whole digestive system
• habitual chronic constipation
• improves bowel tone
• intestinal gas
• promotes gastric digestion
• stimulates the appetite

Liver Conditions

• enlarged liver
• liver and gall bladder complaints

Other

• suitable for delicate and elderly people

Other Uses:

• Used in veterinarian practice as a mild purgative for dogs with chronic constipation

Action:

• bitter [applied to bitter tasting drugs which act on the mucous membranes of the mouth and stomach to increase appetite and promote digestion]
• laxative [an agent promoting evacuation of the bowels; a mild purgative]
• stimulant [an agent that excites or quickens the functional activity of the tissues giving more energy]
• stomachic [an agent that strengthens, stimulates or tones the stomach]
• tonic [an agent that tones, strengthens and invigorates organs or the entire organism giving a feeling of well-being]

Precautions

Caution:

• Fresh bark can cause griping